Oily stools can have various causes, ranging in severity from 'minor' to 'needs attention'. Finding the true cause means ruling out or confirming each possibility – in other words, diagnosis.
Diagnosis is usually a complex process due to the sheer number of possible causes and related symptoms. In order to diagnose oily stools, we could:
Cause | Probability | Status |
---|---|---|
Short Bowel Syndrome | 99% | Confirm |
Inadequate Fiber Intake | 25% | Unlikely |
Giardia | 3% | Ruled out |
Liver Congestion | 2% | Ruled out |
Do you pass stools that are sticky, oily, or greasy but not black? These often tend to leave streaks or residue down the sides of the toilet bowl after flushing.
Possible responses:
→ No / they are black / don't know→ Yes, sometimes slightly sticky/oily → Yes, often slightly sticky/oily, sometimes very → Yes, my stools are usually/always very oily/sticky |